The Promise of This Year's Garden

The cool damp weather has been perfect for beginning to harden off all of this year's garden babies.  Even the wind is helpful giving them some exposure and allowing them to strengthen.  We seeded the peppers and tomatoes four to a pot and they are now ready to transplant into their own pots for a couple of weeks when they will be put in the ground.  If the weather remains moderate then they will take up permanent residence here in the cold frame, on colder days or if there is a chance of frost, they will be tucked into the warmth of the grow room in the basement.   The broad leafed plants in the immediate front of the photo are our first succession of Kaleidoscope (Kale Brussels) and as they are cold tolerant, they are headed directly to the ground in the next week.

The cool weather crops are all growing nicely.  We pulled the covers back from our little hoop houses yesterday so that we could weed and everything looks wonderful.  The beets have sprouted in another bed, but are much smaller.  When they are about the size of these radishes, then we will plant the next batch.  Based on how these have grown in the last week, it looks like it may be time for our next seeding of radishes.  One of our challenges this year is staying on top of succession plantings so that we can have volumes of one time harvests regularly.

The mammoth rhubarb plant that we inherited with the farm is emerging beautifully this year.  This plant gives tender stalks the size of B's arm and is prolific long into the season.  The mound of dirt that it is pushing up this year as it comes through is quite impressive.  It is an almost cathartic feeling, after a week of such gray, to finally see some beautiful color and the promise of this years garden.